New! Bridge the Gap 2025 Edition
Bridge the Gap is a phonemic awareness intervention solution that supports all learners in becoming proficient in essential early literacy skills.
Shipping to classrooms this fall!
Bridge the Gap 2025 Edition equips teachers with everything they need to identify gaps in older learners' phonemic awareness skills and provide tailored intervention support, empowering all students to thrive as proficient readers.
Designed as a crucial component of literacy intervention, Bridge the Gap focuses on addressing the often overlooked aspects of phonemic awareness. Our updated edition is rooted in the latest research and includes the support and guidance necessary to improve literacy outcomes effectively.
Phonemic awareness, especially when working with older learners, is something that is not often part of classroom instruction or intervention. Yet, it is often the missing piece for students who struggle to decode and encode words.
The lessons in Bridge the Gap were written to provide teachers, Reading Specialists, and interventionists with a simplified curriculum for teaching phonological and phonemic awareness with targeted instruction, based on student needs.
The Bridge the Gap intervention lessons include explicit instruction in early, basic, and advanced phonemic awareness skills. The curriculum is broken into three parts that increase in level of difficulty.
Curriculum structure:
- Part 1: Phoneme Isolation
Phoneme Isolation: Initial, Final, & Medial Phonemes
- Part 2: Blending and Segmenting
Blending & Segmenting Phonemes
- Part 3: Phoneme Manipulation
Phoneme Manipulation: Adding, Deleting, & Substituting Phonemes
Easy to Implement
Lessons are easy to follow, include teacher direction for each skill, and require minimal prep time.
Fast paced and engaging
5-7 minute daily lessons are the perfect combination of focus and fun for your classroom.
Cost Effective
Since phonemic awareness is an auditory skill, there are no student materials to purchase.
For many who are familiar with the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness curricula, you may be asking, “What makes Bridge the Gap different?”. The lessons are not written for Monday through Friday instruction, but rather the curriculum structure includes 3 parts, with each part increasing in difficulty.
The Bridge the Gap intervention lessons include explicit instruction in early, basic, and advanced phonemic awareness skills. Teachers may find that students need instruction in multiple skills at the same time. However, a student should be proficient in early and basic phonemic awareness skills before moving to advanced phonemic awareness skills (phoneme manipulation).
Lessons are meant to take 5-7 minutes; an oral warm-up as one part of reading intervention. We recommend follow-up with phonics instruction and opportunities for reading decodable texts.
We are committed to closing the reading gap and ensuring all students become readers. It is our hope that these lessons will help to “Bridge the Gap” by providing students with explicit instruction in phonemic awareness necessary to become proficient readers.
Curriculum components:
- Anchor Lessons
Included for each skill with a reciprocal teaching model, with I do, We do, and You do learning opportunities.
- Lesson Focus
Provides explicit language for teachers and students to use when teaching each skill, and focuses the instruction for each lesson.
- Hand Motions
Hand motions and visual supports are included to scaffold instruction for learners. Each hand motion includes a QR code for easy access to a hand motion explanation and video demonstration.
- Assessments
A Placement Assessment is provided to identify where to begin targeted instruction. Assessments are also included throughout the manual to progress monitor specific skills and inform instruction.
Professional Development
We're proud to support teachers with world-class professional development in-person, online, and on-demand. Whether you have 1 teacher or 10,000, we have something just for you.